Insulated rail-joint.



PATENTBD 0011.9, 1906.

f w. P. BOSSBRT.`

INSULATED' RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1906.

s umani-Bumm.

i WTNSSES VUNITED 4srnrns "Pnrnnr OFFICE.

i WILLIAM F. BOSSERT, OF UIICA, NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-domi'.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

pplication filed :Tanuary 11, 1906. Serial No. 295.534.

To a/Z Z whom t may con/cern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM F. Bossnn'r, a lcitizen of the UnitedStates',residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and Statevof .New York, haveinventedcertain new and.,

` provide or the insulation of rails Aby a durale and effective devicecombining strengthwith simplicity of parts and providing means -whereb aportion of the insulating material,

especia ly the parts at the ends of the rails, which, owing to theirbearingfsurfaces and the heavy strain to which they are subjected by thepounding action of wheels passing over them, are quite likely to becomedefective and form a short circuit from one rail to another orcontinuous rail and may be readily replaced without disturbing the jointor rails in anyway. v My invention relates, further, in the constructionof a device of this nature whichwill Alated aracter of the'joint, andtothis end the invention plrovides not'only a completev insulation for t ebase, web, and contiguous ends of the rail, but also'for the boltsl anddifferent parts connected therewith.

My invention consists, further, inthe pro` vision of means wherebygreater durability `may be secured to the insulated railLjoint and moresecurity to the railway-track than the ordinary insulation' in use,thereby prolonging the'effectivedifetime-o the insulating.; materialused, asftheparts ofthe' insulation.;l

Kliable to disinteqrationand destruction of other parts'may be easilyreplaced, while the' ^same romthe chair. The bo remainingparts'oftheiinsulating material' Q lfi l. the jointf itself may not bedisturbed, thereby reducing the cost of construction and maintenance olthe line. A f

` My invention is illustrated Yin the accompanying drawings, in which'Figure 1 Vis a perspective view of my im` proved -re,il-joint showingthe insulation between the rails and between the various parts.

\ Fig'. 2 is a cross-sectional view through Fig.

\1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a slight .n iodiiication` theconstruction, showing two halfcylindrical pieces of insulation under thetread o1c the rail in place of the form shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is 'across-sectional view ot Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing aslight modification. Fig. 4 6 is a perspectivegview of a stillvfurthermodification of the construction of the invention, showing one ofthewebssections of the lates fas integral with the bottom portion. p I ig.-7 is a cross-sectional view through Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a sectionalview of a slight mod ification. Fig. 9 is a detailed view ofmodification of my invention.

Reference now being had to thedetails of the drawings by numerals, ldesignates the railway-tie upon which therails are adapted tobe held inanyv suitable manner. Each rail has a tread portion 2, web 3, and ab'ase4, and said web portion is provided with aseries of apertures to receivethe bolts 5. y

Referring to- Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shownl email-chair6, made of a single ,pieceof metal, which surrounds the base of the railand which has two upright portions rails with slight spaces interveningbetween. Said upright portionsare provided with apertures adapted toregister with vthe apertures formed in the webs of the rails and throughwhich the bolts `5A pass, "Wooden strips 7, having-'apertures' toreceive the bolts 5 and capable of slight resiliency to permit of vtightclampingof saine upon'the web portions of the rails and still allow.suiiciently for eXpansions and contractions of the rails are placed inthe. spaces intermediate the upright web portions ofthe l.chair and 4webportions'of the rails. A suitable insulation 8 is placed upon positionedon either ,side of .the webs of the the upper surface of the bottom ofthe chair and upon whichA the bases Iof the rails rest,

and insulating-stri Afs'Q are placed upon'the upper inclined :sur acesof-Sthe langesof the bases oi the frails to thoroughly insulate the:fthe parts together are mounted inY flanged s which hold l faces of thetread portions o1 the rails.

while washers 12 are interposed between the nuts and the sleeves andalso between the heads of the bolts and atqacent insulationsleeves. Inthe construction shown m Figs.

f l and 2 of the drawings the upper ends of the webs of the chair areinclined in planes substantially at right angles to each other and formsupports for the replaceable insulationstrips 13, the upper and innerfaces of which insulation-strips are adapted to contact, respectively,with the under surfaces of the treads oi' the rails and the oppositefaces of the webs of the rails.A It will be noted that thecontact-surfaces of said insulation-strips conform to the inclined.endsof the web portions oi the chair, and when the n1: ts upon the boltsare tightened a wedging action is efl'eeted intermediate the chair endsand the insulation-strips 13 whereby the latter may be clamped secnrelyagainst the rails.

In Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, I have shown the upper ends of the webportions of the chair as cupped longitudinally to receive theinsulation-strips 14, which are preferably converted upon their4surfaces which engage said cup portions, while their upper edges areinclined and adapted to contact with the rnc er sur- In 'thismodification 'an insulation-strip 15 is shown ot' a single piece andentirely surrounding the ianges and webs of the rails adjacent to theirmeeting ends and the insulationsleeves 16, which receive thebolts 5, are

4shown as extending 4through the web, portions of the chair and also theinsulation-strip 15, bearing against the opposite faces of the web ofthe rail, while bars, preferably of a wood iibcr 17, are held in contactwith the outer faces of the web portions of the chair by means of thenuts and heads of the bolts and ianged portion of said sleeve. In Fig. 5of the drawings the construction of the web portions of the chairslightly differentiateV from the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in that theupper parts of the webs of the chair are somewhat thicker, and insteadofthe web being bent as shown in Fig. 4 recesses are formed for thereception of th insulation-strips 14.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7, and 8 will be seen a still different modifiedform of my invention in which instead of having the chair made of asingle piece oiE metal I form the same in two parts, (designated bynumerals 18 and 19,) the former of which has one end'ZO cupped, as shownin the other figures, for the reception of the insulation-strips 14 andbends about the flanges and bottoms of the rails and has the insulationintermediate the same and the rails. A portion of section 1S of thechair is bent at right angles ,ad j acent to corresponding edges of theflanges of the l rails and atthti upper edge of the vertical portionthereof is turned to form a roll 21 designed to engage over a rib 22,formed rpon the outer edge of the section 19 of the chair, as clearlyshown in cross-section in Figs. 7 and VBolts 5 are passed through theinsulationsleeves 16, and the assembled parts of the adparatu s areheld. secrrely clamped together by means of nuts 11 upon the bolts. inFig. S I have shown slightly-modiiied iorm of bar 23', which instead ofbeing solid, es shown in Fig. 7, is lormed oi a resilient metal which is-bent upon itself forming two resilient wings. which are adapted toyield slightly and designed to hold the upright portions ot' thechair-sections in clamping relation` In Fig. 9 I have shown across-sectional view illistrating a still different modification oi myinvention, in which one of the chairsections 19 is bent uponitsell andcombining with the piece the parts which are illustrated in Fig. 8 asbeing made of two parts, and the upright portions of the chair-sectionare provided with `registering apertures through which the bolt 5 passes'and held by the bolt and nut thereon in clamping relation against theinsulation which contacts with the web of the rail.

From the foregoing it will be noted that by the provision of theapparatus shown and described means are afforded for thoroughly'insulating rails of a railway from metallic {ish-plates or chairssupporting the rails, also insulation means being afforded for theadjacent ends of' the rails where theyare supported in a common'ehair.By the provision of the means shown parts of the insulating means at theends of the rails which are subjected to the most wear incident to theheavy strain of the pounding action of th'e wheels passing over the endsof the rails may be easily removed and replaced without disturbing thejoints or rails.

What I claim is- 1. An insulated rail-joint, comprising in combinationwith railway-rails,` a rail-chair material intermediate the chair andthe rails, the upper dges ofthe webs of said chair being cupped,removable insulating-strips inserted in the cup portions of the chairand held thereby against the under edges of the treads of the rails,4and insulated means for holding the parts assembled, as set forth.`

surrounding the fianges and Webs of the rails adiaeentI to their meetingends, an insulating V the flanges and-webs of i 3. An insulatedrail-joint, comprising in combination with rails, a chair surroundingthe flanges and Webs ofthe rails adjacent to strips supported by thewebs of the chair andI held in contact with the under edges of thetreads of the rails, yielding bars held in conl tact with the outerfaces of the web portions of said chair and insulated fastening means'passing through the registering apertures in said bars' and Webs of therail and chair, as.

set forth.

4. An insulated rail-joint, comprising in combination with rails, achair surrounding their ends, insulating material intermediate the railsand chair, removable .insulatingstrips supported by the webs of thechair and held in Contact mth thenunder ed es of the treads-of therails, yielding bars ormed of metal bentl upon themselves and heldagainst the outer facesof the Webs of the chair and insulated :boltspassing through registering apertures in saidbars and websof the railsand chair and insulated nuts upon said bolts, as set forth. .j N

' 5. An insulated rail-joint, comprising in combination with rails,

Webs of thelrails adjacent totheir meeting ends, insulating materialbetween the chair` sections and the flanges of the rails, one of edgesof the treads of the rails and insulated two .sections which 'surroundthe flanges/and 'Webs' of the rails adjacent to their meeting means forholding the parts assembled, as set 6. An insulated rail-joint,comprising in combination with rails, a chair .made up of the railsadjacent to l al chair 'made up of two sections which surround theflanges, and

ends, insulating material lbetween the chairsections and the flanges ofthe rails, .fone of said chair-sections having an upright portion withits edge turned into a roll forming a hooked flange, a bead 'upon thelower longitudinal edge-of the votherchair-section engaged by saidhooked flange}r ernovable insu,- ating-strips separate from theinsulation between the chair-sections and flanges, and supported by theupper edges of the'chair-sections and heldk inl contact with the -underedges ofthe treads of the rails and insulated pieans for'holding theparts assembled, as set ort. .A V7. An insulated rail-joint, comprisingin combinationwith rails, a chair made up of twosectionswhich surroundthe flanges and websAv of the rails adjacent to their meeting ends, oneof saidchair-sections having an upright `portion designed to interlockwith the..

A contact with the under edges of the treads of the rails, yieldingmetallic bars held incontact with the outer faces vof theinsulated-meansfor holding the parts assembled, as set forth.

. 8. A n insulated rail-joint, comprising in combination with rails, achair surrounding -strips supported by the` chair-sections and theflanges and websof the rails adjacent to their meeting ends, insulatinmaterial intermediate -the chair and rails, t e upper ends of the websof said 'chair being outwardly turned, removable insulating-strips heldby said web portion of said chair against the under edges of the treadsof the in the recesses formed by the outwardly-bent rails, bars held lportions of said chair and insulated fastening means passing throughsaid bars and webs of vthe rails and chair, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, WILLIAM F. BOSSERT. Witnesses:

E. T. DE Groer,V ETHEL POPE.

